Vehicle check



H. W. OTIS VEHICLE CHECK July 10, 1934.

Filed Aug. 7. 1933 I //4rry// 052s R ATTOR N EY Patented July 10, I934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VEHICLE CHECK Harry W. Otis, South Pasadena, Calif. Application August 7, 1933, Serial No. 684,079

4; Claims. (Cl. 188-30) This invention relates to-a motor vehicle check, gularly to one face of the plate and the latter and has for the primary object the provision of is provided with openings between the blades. 2. safety device which will automatically pre- The blades during the rotation of the plate 8 vent a vehicle from rolling backwards on a grade by the propeller shaft 3 is adapted to act on the 5 or held after the forward motion thereof has fluid and the latter offer a drag to the plate 8. A 59 stopped and which will automatically release the coil spring 11 is mounted on the shaft 3 between vehicle for forward motion when power is apa wall of the housing 1 and the plate 8 and is plied to propel the vehicle in the last-mentioned adapted to normally urge the plate 8 towards the direction. plate 6, causing the ratchet teeth to engage.

0 Another object of the invention is the pro- In operation, the propeller shaft 3 during the 65 vision of means for rendering the device inoperforward motion of the vehicle rotates in the ative or for maintaining the same in a releasing direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 2 of position when it is desired to back the vehicle by the drawing and the plate being splined to the its power plant. propeller shaft rotates therewith with blades 15 With these and other objects in view this inacting upon the fluid. The blades acting on the 70 vention consists in certain novel features of confluid causes a longitudinal movement of the plate struction, combination and arrangement of parts 8 away from the plate 6. The stopping of the to be hereinafter more fully described and vehicle discontinues the rotation of the propeller claimed. shaft and the spring 11 moves the plate 8 lon- For a complete understanding of my invengitudinally towards the plate 6, meshing the 75 tion, reference is to be had to the following deteeth thereof with the teeth of the plate 6 bringscription and accompanying drawing. ing about a locking of the propeller shaft in a In the drawing: direction reverse to the direction indicated by Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, the arrow. The locking of the shaft prevents illustrating a vehicle check constructed in aca reverse or backward movement of the vehicle. 80

cordance with the invention. The shifting fork 5 which is pivotally con- Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view illustratnected to the plate 8 may be suitably connected ing the same. with the usual shifting lever of the transmission Figure3isa plan view illustrating the rotatable of the vehicle so that when the shifting lever or fixed plate of the check. is positioned to reverse the motion of the ve- 115 Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view illustrathicle, the shifting fork will be moved to slide ing the non-rotatable plate of the check. the plate 8 longitudinally away from the plate 6.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the A device of the character described and shown rotatable plate illustrating the blades thereof. prov d s a a y device for a Vehicle y p Referring in detail to the drawing, the nuing the vehicle from rolling backwards on a meral 1 indicates a housing fixed to the transgrade when the vehicle has been brought to a mission housing 2 of a vehicle and having the stop and the device is so designed that it autopropeller shaft 3 extending-therethrough. While matically releases the vehicle for forward mothe housing 1 is shown fixed to the transmission tion when the power is applied to drive the ve- 40 housing it is to be understood that the housing hicle in the last stated direction. 1 may be secured to some other part of the ve- While I have shown and described the prehicle. The housing is adapted to contain a fluid ferred embodiment of my invention it will be such as oil or any other lubricant and the top understood that minor changes in construction, Wall is provided with an opening closed by a combination and arrangement of parts may be 45- cover 4 providing a seat for a shifting fork 5. made without departing from the spirit and A circular plate 6 is fixed to the housing 1 scope of my invention, as claimed. with the propeller shaft extending therethrough Having described the invention, I claim: and is provided with an annular arrangement of 1. A vehicle check comprising a fixed housratchet teeth 7. A disc or plate 8 is splined to ing containing fluid and having a propeller shaft 50-the propeller shaft 3 and its face next to the of a vehicle extending therethrough, a fixed plate 6 has formed thereon annularly arranged ratchet plate in said housing, a movable ratchet ratchet teeth 8' for meshing engagement with plate in the housing and splined to the propelthe ratchet teeth 7 during the attempted rotaler shaft, means for urging the movable ratchet tion of the shaft 3 in one direction. The plate plate into engagement with the fixed ratchet 8 has formed thereon blades 9 extending anplate, and means on the movable ratchet plate to engage the fluid for causing said movable ratchet plate to move longitudinally away from the fixed ratchet plate by the rotation of the shaft in one direction.

2. A vehicle check comprising a fixed housing containing fluid and having a propeller shaft of a vehicle extending therethrough, a fixed ratchet plate in said housing, a movable ratchet plate in the housing and splined to the propeller shaft, means for urging the movable ratchet plate into engagement with the fixed ratchet plate, and blades on the movable ratchet plate to act on the fluid during the rotation of the propeller shaft in one direction for moving said movable ratchet plate away from the fixed ratchet plate.

3. A vehicle check comprising a fixed housing containing fluid and having a propeller shaft of a vehicle extending therethrough, a fixed ratchet plate in said housing, a movable ratchet plate in the housing and splined to the propeller shaft, means for urging the movable ratchet plate into engagement with the fixed ratchet plate, blades on the movable ratchet plate to act on the fluid during the rotation of the propeller shaft in one direction for moving said movable ratchet plate away from the fixed ratchet plate, said movable ratchet plate having slots arranged between the blades.

4. A vehicle check comprising a fixed housing containing a fluid and having a propeller shaft of a vehicle extending therethrough, a fixed ratchet plate in said housing, a movable ratchet plate in the housing and splined to the propeller shaft, means for urging the movable ratchet plate into engagement with the fixed ratchet plate, blades on the movable ratchet plate to act on the fluid during the rotation of the propeller shaft in one direction for moving said movable ratchet plate away from the fixed ratchet plate, said movable ratchet plate having slots arranged between the blades, and a manually controlled means for moving and retaining the movable ratchet plate out of engagement with the fixed ratchet plate.

HARRY W. OTIS. 

